Lead Follow-Up Objective #1 – Share Your Knowledge

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The reason you invest in marketing communications is to generate leads that can be turned into sales. But all leads are not created equal.

Hot leads typically get all the attention, and understandably so, because they are the prospects who are most likely to place an order in the least amount of time and with the least amount of effort. But what about secondary leads?

You initiate a follow-up brand communications program – a blog, an e-mail newsletter, a podcast, a social media program – whatever is most appropriate to periodically reconnect with the leads you have developed to accomplish three objectives. In this post we’ll consider the first objective.

Sharing your knowledge.

The only way to turn any prospect into a sale is to demonstrate that you know what you're talking about. A hot lead has to make that decision quickly, but secondary leads have time to evaluate things more carefully. So use the time wisely. Tell them your perspective on key industry issues. Give them your thoughts on solutions that could be valuable. First steps that they could initiate themselves. Dangers to avoid. And obstacles they will encounter. Let prospects see how you think and develop solutions. Sharing your knowledge gives prospects a no-obligation way to evaluate your thinking and some practical ideas they can use to demonstrate your value.

Read about the other two lead follow-up program objectives now.

If you want to talk to someone about a brand follow-up program for your leads, contact us today by e-mail or phone, 903-534-5220.

Turning Still Images Into A Moving Presentation

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Trade shows are busy, noisy and cluttered environments that challenge communicators to consciously simplify their brand message and continuously enhance its presentation.

So when Cornerstone Brand Communications was asked to develop a looped electronic capabilities overview for Cunningham Lindsey, a leading global provider of claims administration and risk management services, our first objective was to determine the most critical points to communicate to their core audience.

The result was a looped AV presentation that blended still imagery and text into a fast-paced, 5-point service and expertise message highlighting the company’s ability to serve large clients on an international scale. And for this application, without sound or music.

Watch for yourself.



If you want to create a more moving presentation for your brand, contact us today by phone 903-534-5220 or email

Abusing Your Product To Reinvent Your Brand

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When new products are presented through marketing campaigns, the campaign usually is designed to focus on its features and benefits, not highlight its former weakness.  Domino’s took that branding concept and turned it upside-down.

For over 50 years, Domino’s Pizza was known for fast delivery and convenience.  But one glaring quality was missing…..taste.  While Domino’s had perfected the formula for quick delivery, their pizzas were not always given the highest marks for taste.  “Cardboard” and “Spare Tire” were terms often used to describe a Domino’s Pizza.  To expand their market, Domino’s reinvented their recipe through endless research.  Once satisfied with the new taste, they then took this former weakness, highlighted it through a self-deprecating advertising campaign, and focused on the improved quality of their pizzas in addition to the quick delivery.

We find this an interesting strategy for obvious reasons.  Bringing attention to your product’s weakness is typically not something that increases your market share, but in this case it worked.  To say the least, the strategy was risky and there were detractors.  Domino’s Pizza Chief Marketing Officer Russel J Weiner admitted, “Heck, I was concerned.  It’s normal to have discomfort in making a big decision….”  But Domino’s was not deterred by this seldom-used strategy and invested millions in blasting their former taste to highlight their improved recipe.  While Domino’s Pizza has seen a marked improvement in sales, as well as taste, the branding campaign itself attracted as much attention as the new product.

Click here to learn more about Domino's marketing campaign...

To learn more about reinventing your brand, call Cornerstone Brand Communications at 903.534.5220

How Cleaning A Duck Turned Into A Marketing Bonanza

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Sometimes marketing opportunities can be found in the most unlikely places or events. Who would have thought that a dishwashing liquid would play a large role in the BP oil cleanup in the Gulf? That is exactly what is happening and consumers everywhere are taking note.

Remember the Exxon Valdez disaster and, more specifically, the images of Exxon workers using paper towels to clean up oil from the pristine Prince William Sound in Alaska? Fast-forward almost exactly 20 years and a new and unexpected method has been found to help the wildlife shower-off nasty petroleum slime found along the gulf coast. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has identified Dawn as the shower gel of choice for those unfortunate birds who have been found at the wrong place, at the wrong time.

No doubt someone at Proctor & Gamble invested considerable effort convincing the FWS on the “tough on grease yet gentle on animals” merits of this product. A benefit likely discovered by accident but now seen as sheer genius. That’s because someone also recognized it as an opportunity to make Dawn much more than “duck shower gel”. It takes Dawn’s most basic product formula, demonstrates the brand’s primary value as a grease remover, adds an exceptionally powerful emotional benefit as a wildlife protector and tops it all off by positioning the brand in an environment to shine with no other competitors sharing the spotlight.

And no matter how many bottles of product P&G donates to the cleanup, their financial investment is going to pale in comparison to the return. With over 209 media mentions in just the first few days alone, the exposure is priceless and sales from consumers who see the brand as a hero are going to be huge.

Our take on this unusual story is that details matter when it comes to building brands. Marketing teams rightly concentrate on the big picture in their marketing campaigns, but every so often a small advantage can deliver an unexpectedly large benefit. So look at everything about your product with an eye for opportunity.

Read more about how to clean a duck.

If you want to talk to someone about discovering the opportunities in your brand, contact us today by e-mail or phone, 903-534-5220.

Identification: The First Level Of Brand Development

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The answer to the question, what is a brand, depends on who you ask. That's because experience, understanding and even providence can change its significance to a business leader over time. A brand takes time to develop. So does the meaning and value of what a brand is and can do.

Let's explore this process by simplifying the many degrees of brand integration within business today into three distinct levels of brand development for easier, clearer discussion. And for this post, we'll look at Level 1: Brand as Identification.

Many leaders begin by defining a brand as basic visual identification. A name, logo and color scheme. Applied to business cards, signs, vehicles, uniforms and sales literature, it helps separate one company from another. At this level, their marketing and sales message often centers around specific features, capabilities and performance measurements in an attempt to emphasize their strengths to create a temporary competitive advantage. Temporary because their competitors are engaged in the same process, always trying to stay one step ahead. The results often vary dramatically depending on who has the upper hand at the moment. But even if industry leadership isn't always maintained, consistent use of brand identification, a competitive sales message and reasonable performance can, in time, produce a positive expectation in the minds of the company's prospects and customers.

Depending on competitor aggressiveness, company growth objectives and good fortune, some companies never develop their brand beyond basic visual identification.

Read about the other two levels of brand development now.

If you want to talk to someone about taking your brand to the next level, contact us today by e-mail or phone, 903-534-5220.